bigjimslade

I just ordered the port-a-potty!

I would be very careful. I have seen people get trampled and such on BF. No one has manners on BF. Good Luck!

Congrats!

Best Buy!

North Texas

Great Questions! Around 2am or so on Friday everyone starts to break down camp and pack it away in cars. I am in line for an average of 72 hours so I do get to know the people around me and I have never had an issue of packing stuff away and coming back in line. I also stand in line with a group of 40 now so I dont really worry about it. I camp at BB and everyone is civil.

Welcome to the community! Here is more info on the program at the link below. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/dap_10153_12605_DAP_Sears+Layaway

In the next few weeks when more people come on then you can post what area you are in and hopefully people who knows your area will be able to tell you.

Last year for the first time BB posted a FAQ on their Thanksgiving Ad. Below is a link and will help you better understand how BB works on BF. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat136300050023&type=category&AID=10597222&PID=1418914&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Folspage.jsp%3Fid%3Dpcmcat136300050023%26type%3Dcategory&ref=39&loc=01

Hi everyone! I did this last year so I will do it again this year. Below is everything you ever wanted to know about how tickets work at Best Buy (BB) and a picture of a sample ticket so you will know what they look like. FAQ: What is a ticket at Best Buy? A ticket is a paper that BB employees will pass about 2 hours before the store opens. The ticket holds the product for the ticket holder for the item on the ticket until 11am local time on Black Friday. BB does this to cut down on fights and riots in the store. What are the tickets for? No one really knows what BB will put on the ticket system for BF. In the past they have been for items that are in high demand but have limited stock for. In the past few years items included desktops, laptops, cameras (Digital and SLR Film), MP3 players, GPS, TVs (HD, Plasma, LCD, Tube), Printers, and sometimes household items like washer machines. Is the ticket system company wide or just a local program? The ticket system is a company wide system. The tickets come from BB HQ and are sent under strict security to the stores about 1 week before BF. When do they pass out the tickets? The tickets are passed out the morning of Black Friday about 2-3 hours before the store opens local time. What happens when they pass out the tickets? About 2 hours before they open the doors for black friday Best Buy employees will come out of the store and start at the front of the line. One BB worker will have a ticket for an item. He/she will start at the front of the line and go down the line saying "Who wants the $149.99 desktop?". He/she will give each person a ticket until the BB employee runs out. Once the tickets are gone for that item then that is it for that item. BB employee will do this until all of the ticketed items are gone or until they have reached the end of the line. Once I have a ticket what happens next? You wait......You wait until the store opens. The BB worker who gave you the ticket will explain to you where to go in the store to pick up your item. Most BB will close there customer service desk to make room for all check out lanes to be open so pay attention on where you are told to go to pick up your item. Is there a limit on how many tickets I can get? Most ticketed items are one per a person per an item. For example if you want 1 desktop and 1 digital camera then you will get two tickets. If you want 2 of the SAME item you wont be able to get it since there will be a limit of one per a person. Some stores will even go the extra mile of checking ID's so be ready to show your ID if asked. Can I get out of line after I get my ticket? My advice to you would be no. At the BB last year the manager told us and the 6 police officers in FULL tactical gear that if anyone leaves they lose there place in line and ticket. What time should I get in line for a ticket? It is hard to say since I don't know what you are wanting to get and where you live. Last year (BF 2008) people started to form lines at BB around 10pm Wednesday and by 12 noon Thanksgiving Day there were already 300 people in line. Most of the people in front of the lines wanted the laptops, desktops and TVs and they were college and high school students. It all depends on the weather as well. My advice....get there early.....Turkey is over rated! Is there anything else I need to know? Keep your eyes on this thread. I have sources at BB that will give me updated info if needed. Also remember that BB HQ gives local managers the power to customize the ticket system to fit there own store and community. This FAQ is only created as a guide only. If you have any more questions please post! This FAQ will be updated throughout the BF season. Below is a sample ticket from BB. http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m207/davedfw/gottadeal/bbticketbf2005.jpg

Sears, Kmart launch Christmas Club card http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090817/ap_on_bi_ge/sears_christmas_club_2

Sears, Kmart launch Christmas Club card http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090817/ap_on_bi_ge/sears_christmas_club_2

This thread is to post news articles and news link about the 2009 Black Friday Shopping Season and Christmas Retail Shopping season. Remember when posting an article please also post the link so we can give the news agency credit for the article and so other can reference it. Please feel free to discuss the articles. The articles dealing with the major stores will be moved to the sub-forums when they are open.

Tradition - Making New Friends - Having Fun with Old Friends - Saving Money - I am Crazy

LOL

Congrats to all!

1. Sears. They had alot of practical items that you can use year around to help you and your family. They took the current situation we are in and tailored it to bring good deals. 2. Research and Plan! You need to do alot of research on the items you are getting, the store you will be shopping at and what is the atmosphere is like at the store you want to go to. Is the store a free for all like WM or tickets like BB. Just because it says "Doorbuster" it does not mean it is a good deal. In your planning you need to know when you will get to the store, what you need to have with you and how does the store conduct BF. 3. For me they need to plan for BF better. I shop at BB becuase they have the ticket system which controls the crowds and makes the shopping trip safe and more enjoyable. WM needs to learn from last years riot they had in NY. Women who are preg and the weak should never shop at WM. The way WM conducts BF you may lose your life or if you are lucky just your wig!

Since you will be a first time camper keep a look out for my Black Friday videos. I will do one on how to camp for BF.

Thanks! Renting a port a potty like I do every year can give you a little extra cash. I made $400.00 extra dollars last year.

I have been doing BF for about 6 years now and I have found if you want anything electronic then you will need to camp out. If you want clothes and household goods then you should get there around 1am local time. If you do camp out then you will have to get there days in advance because most of the people in the front of the line are college kids wanting computers for college.

Someone remembered! Yes I do rent a port a potty. When you wait in line for 4 or more days it comes in handy!

There are tents that can fit up to 4 people that dont need stakes. The end of the poles fit into keys at the end of each corner of the tent and thus keeps the tent up. Below is an example of a tent that does not need stakes and is great for BF. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10993676

I forgot chairs!

Every year alot of veterans and newbies come onto the site and one of the most asked question is what do I bring to camp out in line with. It all depends on where you are and what the weather is. So post what you have in your arsenal and maybe it will help others! Big Jim Slade BF Arsenal 4 Tents - 4 person tents6 Propane Catalytic Heaters40 Bottle of PropaneSleeping Pads4 Cots4 Ice ChestsTwo Way Radios2 Propane Stoves with Pots and PansGrillSleeping BagsLaptopBF AdsBox of Hand WarmersRain Gear

Ok....It is around 105*F here in Texas and only the hard core here is thinking about Black Friday. Believe it or not there are some stuff you can do now that will save you money and get you ready for BF 2009. While summer is coming to a end and most of the stores are getting ready for Back To School (BTS) and fall sports like fishing, football and such sporting good stores will start to put their camping gear on sale since the summer camping season will come to a end and hunting seasons will start. I did notice in this past sunday's ads there were alot of tents on sale and sleeping bags. If you do get a tent remember to get one that does not require stakes to hold the thing up. Some other things you can get is heaters, stoves and sleeping bags. As hunting season comes along you will see sales on heaters and hand warmers. I spent this weekend helping a friend buying stuff for BF 2009 and thought I would pass this along.